Be Careful of the Words You Speak to Yourself

I’ve learned to be REALLY careful of the things I say about myself and about the world I live in. Because what I have found is that the words you both think and speak aloud, create the reality around you. Rather than just talking about what we think we are observing, we’re actually creating it when we say it and think it. So I observe and be aware and make corrections to any self-defeating or disempowering thoughts that still bubble up from time to time.

Does this mean I am ignoring negative thoughts and issues I need to face up to? Does it mean I’m living in some fantasy world and lost touch with the reality around me? NO it doesn’t! Actually the way I see it I’m more in touch with reality than I’ve ever been. The point is, the words we speak and think are crucial elements to the creation of the world around us. When we say things like “I’m so miserable” or “I’ve never been good at ____” or “I can’t ever do that, or be like that amazing person” we are really MAKING IT SO when we say that. It’s not just a passing observation!

Now the awesome thing I have found is, once I have awareness of these kinds of thoughts and the things I’m saying, I then have an opportunity to actually change it, or to correct myself, and what I’ll do is, I say back to myself “No, Eric, you CAN do that” or at least I tell myself that I’ve come such a long way from where I was before, and it’s only getting better and better each and every day. Those kinds of corrections are LIFE-CHANGING thoughts, if you ask me.

The biggest challenge I personally faced with overcoming disempowering and negative thoughts is, that when I would catch myself thinking or saying something bad about myself, I would then follow it up with beating myself up and criticizing myself for thinking the things that I know I shouldn’t be thinking. So it then became this vicious cycle that was hard to get out of. The key thing that helped me to get better was simple awareness. Having that constant awareness of the negative thoughts, and just observing what was taking place. From there I can make corrections, keep at it, and learn to believe and trust myself.

If making these kinds of corrections is a challenge for you too, I would say first try to remember to not beat yourself up. You aren’t perfect and that’s ok, nobody is. But you are learning and you are making progress. Second, work on being aware of the thoughts you think and the words you speak. Although it may feel overwhelming at first, because you start observing more negativity than you might have previously wanted to admit to, remember this is a really big step you’re taking and you will get through it with continued practice and effort.